whatever happened all those years ago, these are old men who really shouldnt have to put up with silly modern day rules that have nothing to do with them. I'm not talking about your cosmopolitan bars and fancy "real spanish" tapas bars in towns, I'm talking about the little dusty villages where there are a few houses, a square, two bars and a donkey!

Jo xxx

His birthday is coming up, maybe you should visit and start calling Franco an idiot, see how far you get before your blood is on there hands.

No, don`t judge a book by its cover and don`t assume all old men in Spain are saints.

I don't, but I dont call them all fascists either...

Maybe you should go to the German forums next and tell them to watch out for all the little old German Nazis

Would those be in the hot regions with no air con in the bars, so they all sit outside in the shade.

I doubt small towns such as those would ever follow govt rules if they did not want them.

After all Spain is famous for ignoring govt rule, especially if it suits them.

I was reacting to your remarks, thats all, chill out a bit and re read my posts.

Just saying many old men are not saints, they may also not be Fascist, they could be communists, Republicans etc etc.

Can we get back on topic now.

What is interesting is that most of these "little old men" have smoked for most of their lives and dont seem to be particularly unwell because of it!! Yet us Brits seem to have asthma, heart desease, lung desease and all manner of other ailments and worse due to breathing in even second hand smoke!!!??????? hhhhmm....

There was a study done several years ago that suggested that altho France was the heaviest smoker of all the 22 nations they studied, it had the lowest incidence of all those deseases I've mentioned above! They call it the "French Paradox" Its only now that they've discovered fast foods, colouring and preservatives that their incidences of heart desease, obesity and cancer has risen. Same with the UK, since smoking has been declining, there is no marked improvement in health!!

That said, I hate smoky bars and smoking in restaurants etc, but I think its become a witch hunt and an obsession thats out of proportion to its bad effects

Jo xxx

Both my parents smoked, my mother smoked on the maternity ward when I was born.

I have no health issues, yet my born have Asthma, maybe these issues jump a generation or maybe nature is fighting back.

I think to say that silly modern day rules have nothing to do with older people is a little unrealistic. That's like saying that just because you're old you don't need to worry about perfectly reasonable laws that have been brought in for the good of your country. (ok there are some daft ones, but how can you distinguish?) Smokers might always think it's unfair to stop them smoking just the same as drink drivers might think it's stupid to bring in lower or nil alcohol-drive limits, like paedophiles might think they're the subject of namby pamby witch hunts. Very different examples, but actually how or why should old people be in some way exempt?

As to the bad effects of cigarettes & cigarette smoke, well there'll always be lies damned lies & statistics, but I know which side of the fence I sit. The only reason cigarettes are still 'condoned' by governments is finance.

From my own observations of those around me, it’s the worriers that get taken first. Whether they smoked, drank, exercised, ate healthy food and did everything by the book seems irrelevant, their stress carried them away

I went to a funeral of a good friend not so long ago, one of the most law-abiding men I ever met, who didn’t smoke or drink and went jogging every day. When I looked down into his coffin, I felt like sticking a fag into his mouth and pouring him a large brandy.

That’s what they should ban – stress.

Now about that Spanish town with only a few houses, a square, two bars and a donkey. Where do I find it?

Oh they exist alright. Probably more than one donkey, though and at least one of them will be tied up outside one of the bars..

...... or maybe its the pollution in the air from smoke, factories chemicals, fuels (theres a school of thought that reckon diesel is a trigger for asthmatics), insectacides, or the junk they put in foods etc.. When I was a kid, there was only one boy in the whole school who had asthma, you cant blame the recent rise on fags can you????

There are so many things that cause so many things. I have so many anecdoctal stories whereby I could disprove the "smoking is bad" theory, but they dont prove anything to anyone else really!



Jo xxxx

Asthma is an interesting question. I've heard suggestions that it, like some other health problems may be linked to very young children not getting exposed to enough dirt and pathogens.

Anecdotal stories aren't proof of anything.

I totally agree - stress is a demon that Brussels should be banning LOL!!!

As for Spanish villages?? Well I live on the edge of one and I can think of at least two others fairly close to me!!! They're everywhere in the Málaga hills!!

Jo xxx

While this is logical, how else does anyone explain Roy Castle's death from lung cancer?

... or my aunties death at 98 from a stroke when she smoked "like a trouper" from the age of 9 and worked in smokey pubs all her life !!

Jo xxx